Tree protector



- April 6 1926. 1,579,534

L. R. HIBBARD ET AL TREE PROTECTOR Original Filed Feb. 12, 1923 Patented A r. 6,1926. r

PATENTOFFICE.

LOUIS a. HIBBARD AND 1mm s. BERRY, or LOSLANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TREE mo ma;

' Application filed February 12, 1923;. Serial no. 618,553 61. Renewed September 15, 1925. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe. LouisxRgHinnnnn and RENI -S. BERRY, citizens of -the United States, residing at 'Los Angeles, in the county of 'Lo'sAngeles and State of Cal1-' 'fornia, have invented new and {useful provements in Tree Protectors, of which the following isa specification. v

This invention relates to-tree'protectors of the'typeespecially adapted to serve as a barrier-to prevent crawling insects from .turedand readily'assembled; 3

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects andadvantages as may subsequently appearthe invention consists of the parts and the construction, arrangement; and combinationof parts I hereinafter descrlbed and cl'a1med, and 1llus-- trated in the accompanyingudrawlings in which: I V Figure 1" is-a fragmentary *SBCtlOIlZtlI flIld side elevation showing the tr'unkof a tree "provided. with a' protector in. accordance with the principlesof our invention.

Fig. 2 is a View in horizont lsectionas seen on the line 2 2 of Fig. land looking downwardly.

Fig. 3is a X I the line 3.3 of Fig. '1' and looklng 'downwardly. Fig.4

downwardly.

Fig. 5 is a perspective'ofthe supporting casing, shown, in Fig.5 1, parts'belng'broken away. 1

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the cover shown in Figs. 1 and 2. 7

Fig. 7 is a perspective ofthe trough shown in'Figs..-1 and 2. V I

Fig. 8 is fragmentary sectional deta1l of the joint in the trough and taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1 and looking downwardly.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the construction is substantially as follows: i The supporting casing 1 holds a bank 2 of sand or dirt around the trunk 3 of the tree. The trough 4 is mounted upon the fragmentary sectional detail on is a fragmentary sectional detail on the line H of Figs. and 5 and look ng casing land extends around the tree. ;.The I cover 5 is mounted u on the casing 1" and extends over the troug 4 to keep rain, leaves and dirt out of' theoil.

f" The details. of the supporting casing 1 cylindrical portions 6 and 7 and the upper tapered cylindrical portions 8 and 9. "The portions 6 and 7 each'form a half circle in plan and together forma circle. Interlocking h-ookgflanges 10 and 11 are formed on the meeting edgesto secure the portions 6 and-7 together. The tapered'portions' 8 and and are inclined or flared inwardly to make the casing smallest, in diameter or circumference, at the top. The end edges of the portions-8 and 9 abutsquarely together. dienas'sembled the tapered portions 8 and 9 fitthe'upper edges of the portions 6 and 7 p 9 form seats for the trough 1 and thecover 5,.

The two halves of the casing 1 will nest, one in the other, for handling and transport and'f'may be readily placed around the tree trunk and thenhooked together. Be-

edge13 below-the normal surface 14 of'the around. Then the bank 2 of clean dry'sand,

[earthor like'soft material is shovelled into fore placing the casing in position the insect infected earth around the tree trunk should be cleared 'away thus producing a trench 12 around the tree trunk. Then the casing l is set in the trench thus bringing the lower the'casing to ffil'l the space, more or less be- 'tween'the tree trunk and the casing to the desired height. Grubs and. other insects which travel in or upon' the surface of the earth will not go under the buried edge 13 of the casing and through the bank 2 to the tree trunk.- The bank also serves as a soft cushion to hold the casing 1 in place. The bank 2 "should contain no fertility and then will" not invite roots or sprouts from the tree trunk and in any event the bank will not interfere with the growth and expansion of the tree trunk. s

The details of the trough t are as follows: The trough is built of sheet metal and is curved upwardly both ways from the center in cross section. I

The trough is split crosswise like a split ring, thus producing the ends 14 and 15 and the ends have transversely extending beads 16'a'nd 17 which fitone within the other.

The trough is circular in plan and the inner wall 18 fits upon the tapered seat of the casing 1. The ends 14: and 15 are sprung apart to allow the tree trunk to pass and then the ends arebrought together, the beads 16 and 17 assembled and cotter pins .19 .illserted through the beads to hold the ends together. 7 The tapered seat upon the casing l, the inner wall 18, the ends 14: and 15 and the beads 16 and 17 may be treated with asphalt or the like to close the ,jointszto hold oil and to prevent insects trom passing between the trough and the casing. The

trough may be driven down tight upon the tapered seat until it fits and forms a .close joint. Any suitable oil, crude ,or otherwise,

maybe placed in the trough tto torrnthe-oil barrier trunk.

20 completely surrounding the tree The details of the cover 5 are as follows: The cover is a split-ring of sheet metal and comprises the body portion Qlhaving the upturned inner edge 22 and the down turned outer edge 23, the body sloping SllglltlYCi0W11- wardly from theinner edge :to theouter edge,

and the ends 24,- and 25 formed by the split being adapted to be sprung apart to allow the tree trunk to ,passandradapted tooverlap coated with asphalt or the like to make ;a

water tight joint. The cover extends out- ;wardl-y beyond the trough 4 so as 130 keep rain, leaves and dirt out of the oil. 20. The cover 5 is spaced from the trough 4;, so that vcreeping insects .cannot get to the cover.

All the sheet metal Work may be galvanized iron, brass or the like rustless material or it may be black iron painted or coated to prevent rust.

The tree protector may readilypbe taken down, cleaned and rebuilt as often .a's required to suit the growth of the tree and to keepthe partsclean and elficient.

Creeping insects will approach the tree in and upon the surface of the earth and will climb the casing 1 and crawl outwardly along the bottom of the trough 4: vand over its outer edge to the oil barrier 20 and if .claime they attempt to cross this barrier they will be drowned or stuck in theoil.

Thus we have produced a simple tree protector which will effectually keep all creeping and boring insects itrom the tree.

Various changes may be made without departingl from the spirit of our invention as We claim:

1. A tree protectortcomprising a support ing casing adapted ,to surround a tree trunk and spaced {therefrom and having a tapered upper portion 'forminga seat, a trough fitting the seat oil in the oil troughand Eforming an insect bar ier simrounding the tree trunk, and a cover for theoil trough.

2. A tree prote tor comprising a trunk e circling casing having a tapered upper end portion, a split trough seating On the. tapered ,end portion below the upper edge gtllQI'GOIf, means .for .j oining thesplit portions ,of the trough, .a split cover-fseatingon the tapered portion of the cas'ing in superposed ,spacedlrelation to ,the trough and means connecting the split portions of the cover.

3.. Ina tree protector, aicasingadapted to ,encircle ,a tree, said casing being formed with an elongated tapered upper end portiomand an annular trough through which :the upper .end portion of said casing extends; said trough seating on the inclined face of ;said upper end portion in wedgeflengagement with said casing. 7

4t. In ,a :tree protector, a casing ada ted .to :QIlClIClQ ,a tr,ee,s11d casing being formed with an elongated tapered upper endgpor tion, an annular trough seating on the 'in- .clined face of said upper end portion in spaced r lation to the upper edge of the easmg, and an annular cover member adapted to also seat on the lncl ned face of the upper end portion ofthe cas ng and be supported in spaced relation to the trough.

5. In a tree protector, a tree .ellQircling casing divided vertically and having means for interconnectinggthe {divided portions and formed with an inwardly inclined upper end po tion, and an annula t ug memb encircling and Seating upon the inclined surface of the upper end portion of said casing and serving to hold the casing against spreading. v t LOUIS R. BENl .S. 

